


World of our own

by Dahlia_Rose_83



Series: world [2]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 08:19:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2060829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damon and Alaric have been together for 8 monts now. But the last few weeks have been hard on everyone and put their relationship to the test. Will another surprise visit change things for better or worse? (Sequel to Caught between two worlds)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Sequel to my fic "Caught between two worlds". I own nothing but Maeve Saltzman ;)

Shifting in his seat, fidgeting nervously, Alaric tried in vain to concentrate on sheriff Forbes report about the recent lack of vampire activity in Mystic Falls. At least he managed to repress the hysteric laughter, that threatened to bubble out of him at the absurdity of the subject, with relative ease by now. He really had to give Liz credit for keeping a straight face while lying to the gathered council members. She knew of the many vampires who had taken up residence in her town. One of them was her own daughter after all.   
   
Shifting yet again, Ric jumped a little when Damon`s hand landed on his thigh underneath the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He glanced over at the dark haired vampire and managed a slight smile, noticing the worry in his boyfriend`s blue eyes. Ric had always hated these council meetings. They seemed to take forever, because some members loved to talk about completely unimportant things for hours on end.   
   
He had found it tedious when he was still human. Now as a vampire it nearly drove him mad. Damon promised it would get better. He was still so new to this, still learning to deal with his heightened senses and more powerful emotions. It had only been five weeks so far. Five weeks he had only survived thanks to Damon´s continued support.   
   
It hadn`t been planned. Yes, he had thought about turning. Of course he had, dating a vampire. But he had wanted to wait. They had only been together for about seven month and while he loved Damon more with each passing day, he had still wanted to be completely sure about their relationship before taking this big step. And Damon hadn`t pushed him, had been uncharacteristically patient in fact. But then the decision had been taken away from them.   
   
Alaric couldn`t remember all that much about it. He remembered leaving school late in the evening, the teacher`s conference having taken forever. (Damon had earlier joked about making sure there really was a teacher`s conference. It had become some sort of weird running gag between them, after Ric had used it as an excuse to cancel a date with Jenna, back when he`d still been dating her.)  
   
He had been surprised and also a little alarmed to find Elena waiting for him in the parking lot. “Stefan has disappeared. He didn´t show up for our date and he`s not answering his cell phone. Damon doesn`t know where he could be, either.” she had told him, looking close to tears. Ric had assured her that they would find him and told her to get in the car, turning his back on her to do the same. Seconds later there had been a searing pain in his back and he`d dropped to the ground, suddenly unable to move.  
   
“Don`t strain yourself. I`ve broken your back.” Suddenly the voice hadn`t sounded like Elena`s at all and he had wondered how he could have been so blind. “Katherine! What do you want?” Paralyzed he had stared up at the brunette, who had bent over him with a smile. “I`m here to repay a debt. Tell Damon he`s welcome.” she had said and then there had been only darkness.   
   
She had snapped his neck, he later found out. The next thing he knew he had been waking up in Damon´s bed, with Damon sitting beside him, a strange look on his face. Ric had demanded to know what happened and Damon had told him that he`d gotten a call from Katherine, who told him to pick his lover up. He had rushed to school to find the teacher in the parking lot with a broken neck. Ric hadn`t  really understood why Damon seemed so concerned. She had killed him and the ring had brought him back. Easy enough. Although he had felt a little strange.  
   
But Damon`s next words had explained everything. "It wasn`t your ring that brought you back this time. Katherine took it off you. I`m sorry, Ric. You`re in transition." It had taken him a moment to understand. His thoughts had drifted back to the previous night, Damon making love to him, feeding from him, like he sometimes did, before healing Ric with his own blood. The blood that had still been cursing through Ric`s veins when he died.   
   
“She thought I wouldn`t have the guts to turn you, so she did it for me as some weird sort of apology or whatever. At least that`s what she said.” Damon had explained further, sounding completely disgusted with his ex. Ric`s mind had flashed back to her strange words, that suddenly made sense. She must`ve known about the blood. He didn`t want to think about how she`d found out.  
   
It had been a shock, but Damon had been really good about it, handing his boyfriend a blood bag and telling him to drink. When Ric had hesitated he had said: "Do it or I`ll make you. What Katherine did was wrong, but I won`t allow you to die on me. You promised you wouldn`t leave me, remember?" And he had looked so sincere and so afraid that Ric had taken the blood bag and emptied it.   
   
He would never forget this moment. The rush he had felt, gulping down the red liquid, the hunger, the strange craving for more, like nothing he`d ever felt before. The fear that he wouldn`t be able to control it. And Damon holding him, telling him it would be okay, promising they`d make it through this. That he would be with Ric every step of the way.   
   
The dark haired vampire had wanted him to quit his job, but Alaric had insisted to keep it, had wanted to be there for the kids. After a night long discussion they had agreed that Ric would take a week off and they would use this time to train. It was almost the start of summer vacation anyway, so Ric would have some time to decide if he really wanted to go back to teaching. Surprisingly enough he had learned to control himself rather quickly and would therefore continue working at school.   
   
The teacher was startled out of his thoughts when the people around him started to get up and leave. Quickly he got up from his chair as well, smiled in Liz' direction and murmured a few pleasantries to the people he passed on his way out. Once outside he heaved a relieved sigh. "What`s up with you today? Haven`t seen you this edgy in days." Damon murmured beside him. Alaric shrugged. "Just feeling a little stressed out, is all."   
   
And it really was no wonder, with all that had been happening lately. He felt Damon´s hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles. "Come home with me. I`ll take your mind off it." the dark haired vampire offered. And Ric really wanted to. But he couldn`t. "Should check up on Elena and Jeremy." They needed him. He was all they had left, tragic as it was. "You need to be selfish sometimes." Damon protested, eliciting a soft smile from his boyfriend.   
   
"I was selfish yesterday." he reminded, leaning closer to the dark haired vampire. "Why don`t you come home with me instead?" Damon looked like he wanted to protest, but in the end he just heaved a sigh and nodded. "Okay, let`s go."   
   
***   
   
The drive to the Gilbert home passed in silence, as both vampires were lost in thought. Only a few weeks had gone by since the night that had changed all of their lives. While Damon and Ric were away, cooped up in some cabin in the woods, with no electricity and no cell phone reception, Klaus had appeared in Mystic Falls, seeking the Doppelganger to break the curse that kept his werewolf side in check.   
   
They had known this day would come. They hadn`t thought it would come so soon. But still they should have been prepared. The plan had been made and it should have been flawless. But they hadn`t expected Elijah to betray them. To help his brother, instead of killing him. They hadn`t expected Klaus to use Jenna for the sacrifice. And while Elena survived, thanks to John Gilbert sacrificing his own life to save hers, Jenna died.   
   
Returning to Mystic Falls only a day later, Alaric had been shocked, learning what had happened. Learning that they hadn`t been there when their friends needed them. And even though he knew that they couldn´t have done anything had they been there, that no-one blamed them, accepting it was another thing. The next shock came when Ric found out that Jenna had wanted him to become Elena`s and Jeremy`s guardian, in case something happened to her. They hadn`t parted on good terms. He had cheated on her with Damon. Had broken up with her because he fell in love with Damon. She had been still angry at him, months afterwards. He had broken her heart and still she wanted him to take care of her niece and nephew.   
   
It had made him feel like a complete asshole all over again. Unworthy of her trust. He was sure he would fuck it up. He was no role model. He drank too much and often neglected his job. He was a vampire now, for god`s sake. But Elena and Jeremy had been so heartbroken, so utterly lost, that he finally agreed and moved in with them, surprised when even Damon agreed that it was the best thing to do.   
   
After spending two weeks on the couch, certain the Gilberts would kick him out soon, the teacher had finally taken Elena up on her offer and moved into her dead parent`s bedroom. He wouldn´t sleep in Jenna`s old room. He simply couldn`t. He was sure that he wasn`t a big help for them. But he tried. He made breakfast and dinner, glad when Damon came over to help with that, since the dark haired vampire was a much better cook.   
   
He listened to Jeremy ramble on about his stupid job at the Mystic Grill, that Elena insisted was good for him and the fact that his girlfriend had to spend the whole summer away on vacation, visiting her father`s family. The teen not once mentioned Jenna or his parents or the recent events and Ric was sure he should talk to him about that, but didn`t know how to bring up the subject. He trained Elena in self-defence and taught her how to fight vampires and sometimes even made her laugh. But he also listened to her crying herself to sleep alone in her room at night, not knowing what to do, how to comfort her, glad for the nights Stefan stayed over, the younger Salvatore´s quiet murmurs nearly drowning out her choked sobs. Glad for the nights he spend at the boarding house, in Damon´s arms, away from all the pain for a while. And still feeling guilty because of it.   
   
He also resisted the urge to call his brother and ask for parenting tips, not sure how to break the news that he was now guardian to two kids. He wasn`t a parent and he wouldn`t try to be one. He just wanted to be there for them as best as he could.  He was glad that it was the summer break right now, so he didn`t have to worry about lesson plans and grading papers in addition to taking care of the Gilbert siblings, going to council meetings and learning how to control his vampiric urges.   
   
Sometimes he wondered how he still found time for his relationship. But Damon certainly made sure Ric didn`t neglect him and the teacher was glad for that. Nowadays Damon was often the only thing that kept him upright, kept him from going insane. He was the one constant in Ric`s life.   
   
“Do you want to go in or not?” Startled Ric looked over at his boyfriend, only now noticing that the car was parked in the Gilbert`s driveway already. “We`ve been here for five minutes now, with you staring off into space. Should I get worried?” Damon asked, only half joking. “Not really. I`m just thinking too much again.” Alaric admitted with a wry smile. “Come on.” They got out of the car, but when Damon started towards the house, Ric stopped him. The dark haired vampire looked at him questioningly. “Thank you.” Ric murmured sincerely, leaning down to place a short kiss on his boyfriend`s lips.   
   
When he pulled away Damon smirked at him. “You can thank me tonight.” The teacher couldn`t hide a grin at that, realizing Damon was planning on spending the night. Although he still felt a little awkward, sleeping with his boyfriend in the same room that Elena and Jeremy`s parents had owned not so long ago, he was glad he wouldn`t have to spend the night alone. “Deal.” he murmured, finally following Damon up the front porch.   
   
Elena met them as soon as they stepped through the door and Ric felt instantly worried by the strange expression on her face. “Did something happen?” he asked, alarmed. “You have a visitor.” the girl answered cryptically, motioning for him to follow her. Alaric shared a quick glance with Damon, shrugging at the older vampire`s unspoken question and followed Elena into the living room. But he stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted the woman on the couch. “Mum?”


	2. Chapter 2

Maeve Saltzman got up from the couch and walked over to meet her son. Ric noticed vaguely that she didn`t look much older than the last time he had seen her, about two years ago. She certainly didn`t look like 64. Her shoulder-length hair had the same, golden-blonde hue it had always had and framed her face in delicate curls. Ric bent down to hug her, since she only reached up to his shoulders and had to stifle a gasp when he was enveloped by her warmth and her scent.   
   
For a second he felt his features shift, the veins beneath his eyes appearing, his fangs threatening to break through, but he took a deep breath and managed to calm himself. When he pulled away his face looked completely normal again. "Alaric, let me look at you." his mother murmured. "You`ve changed." He tried not to squirm under her intense gaze. "It`s been two years, mum." he reminded her, feeling a little overwhelmed with the whole situation.   
   
"I`ll make dinner." Elena piped up. The teacher nodded his thanks and looked over at Damon, who decided: "I`ll help." He sent Ric a look that clearly said he would give him some time alone with his mother, but he`d be there should his boyfriend need him. "Thank you." Ric murmured quietly, knowing Damon had heard him.   
   
Finally alone, he and his mother sat down on the couch again. "What are you doing here, mum?" She smiled that smile she had reserved only for him and the many stupid questions he used to ask when he was still a boy. "Your father finally listened to his doctor about that hip-surgery. It was about time. He really had trouble walking lately. Now he`s on rehab and I thought it would be best to leave him alone while he recovers. You know how grumpy he gets when he`s sick." she rolled her eyes and Ric smiled, knowing full well what she meant.   
   
"But I started feeling lonely at home. Nathan, Maggie and the boys are spending the summer in Oklahoma, visiting Maggie´s family. So I thought I`d go and visit my baby boy. I haven`t seen you far too long." Ric cringed at the pet name, knowing full well Damon was eavesdropping from the kitchen and would probably tease him about it later. "Mum, could you lay off the stupid pet names, please? I`m not five anymore." he asked, earning himself an eye roll from his mother.  
   
"I was at your apartment. But your neighbour told me you haven`t been there for weeks and I`d probably find you here. That nice girl, Elena, said I could wait here for you." Maeve continued and Ric braced himself for the next question. "So, you live here with.. Elena and her brother now?" He didn`t miss the accusatory undertone or the words she didn`t say. The "she`s young enough to be your daughter".   
   
"Kind of, yes. I`m their guardian." The teacher explained, smiling at his mother`s surprised reaction. "Their guardian?" she repeated. "Yes. I was dating their aunt for a while. It didn`t work out, though. We broke up." he cringed at that. "But she had wanted me to get custody of the kids should anything happen to her." Something he still didn´t understand. "What about their parents?" Maeve asked. "They died in a car accident not so long ago."   
   
"Oh my, those poor children. And now the aunt...?" Ric swallowed hard. Jenna`s death was something he still had trouble coming to terms with. Especially considering their history and the fact that she had never officially forgiven him. "She was murdered about four weeks ago. A robbery gone bad." he told his mum the official version. "Oh, that is horrible!" she exclaimed. "They don`t have any family left, so I moved in here, try to take care of them. They`re very independent, though. I`m not sure if I`m all that much of a help." Alaric admitted.   
   
His mother moved a little closer and took his hand in hers. "I`m sure you are, darling. Elena seems very fond of you." He shrugged it off, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation. His mum seemed to sense this and changed the topic. "I talked to Nathan after he`d visited you. He didn`t really say anything, but I got the impression that you had met someone. Was that... Jenna?" she asked carefully. Ric shook his head. "Like I said, we dated for a while, but we broke up. It just didn`t work out."   
   
Maeve nodded, looking thoughtful. "But there is someone?" she prodded. Alaric bit his lip nervously. He knew his mother wouldn`t drop the subject and he also didn`t want to lie. He really wanted to tell her, even if he was a little scared of how she would react to the fact that he was dating a guy. "Yes, there is. But it`s a little ... complicated." he finally answered. She just continued to look at him, an encouraging smile playing about her lips. The teacher`s nervousness spiked. He was sure Damon could hear his heartbeat over in the kitchen. It was thundering so loud.   
   
"There is something I never told you. I`ve always been... not only drawn to… girls." he stammered. "But to boys as well. I know." Maeve finished his sentence calmly. Ric stared at her in shock. "Oh Alaric, I`m your mother. Did you really think I never noticed?" she asked, laughing lightly when he only shook his head. "I`ve known for ages, darling. I didn`t say anything, because I was waiting for you to tell me. I understand that you didn`t tell your father. He can be very narrow-minded sometimes. But you should know that you can tell me anything."   
   
Her sincere understanding nearly overwhelmed Alaric and he had to fight to keep his emotions in check. "Thank you, mum. I really didn`t know how you would react." he admitted. Maeve smiled again. "You needn`t have worried, Alaric. I will always love you. No matter what. But now I want you to introduce us. I`m assuming he´s in the kitchen, helping Elena?" she asked, surprising her son once more.   
   
"How did you know?" he asked. "You really think I haven`t seen those looks you two exchanged earlier? At first I wasn`t sure, but after your little admission… Please, Alaric. Give me some credit. As I said, I`m your mother and I know you." She did, he had to admit. A lot better than he ever thought. Finally a relieved smile spread over his face. She knew and she accepted it. He stood up and called for Damon to join them for a minute, knowing full well the dark haired vampire had heard every word they had spoken. Damon strolled out calmly and Ric introduced him to his mother. "Maeve Saltzman, my mother, this is Damon Salvatore, my boyfriend." And somehow it still felt strange saying that. But in a good way.   
   
The two of them shook hands and Maeve asked Damon to sit down with her. "Let`s have a little chat. I`m sure Alaric can be just as much of a help in the kitchen." she decided. Ric hesitated, but his mother made a shooing motion with her hands. "Don`t look so shocked. I`m not going to take his head off. I just want to get to know the man who captured your heart. And that is easier without you here. So go and help Elena." It was an order and reluctantly Alaric obeyed.   
   
Elena looked up when he entered the kitchen. "My mum wants to talk to Damon." he explained. The girl frowned. "Does she know you`re...?" Ric nodded and tried to swallow the uneasy feeling. Elena told him to chop some vegetables, but otherwise kept quiet, obviously knowing he would listen in to the conversation his mum was having with his boyfriend and ignore her anyway.  
   
***   
   
"So, how did you meet?" Maeve asked after Damon had sat down next to her. "Through my younger brother, Stefan. Ric is his history teacher." the vampire answered easily. "And you are from Mystic Falls?" she continued. "We actually moved back here not so long ago. The Salvatores are a founding family with a long tradition. Stefan and I inherited the house from a distant uncle." At least that`s what he had told the other council members. "What about your parents?" Ric`s mother asked and Damon stiffened automatically. He didn`t talk about his family. Not if he could help it.   
   
"They`re both dead. It`s just my brother and me." he murmured evasively. "Oh, I`m sorry. I didn`t want to open barely healed wounds." Maeve said sincerely. Damon shrugged and looked away. "My mother died very young. My father a couple of years ago. I`ve had enough time to come to terms with it." He jumped when Maeve took his hand. "How old were you?" she asked softly. Reluctantly he looked at her again. At that moment she reminded him a lot of Ric. It was the eyes, he realized. Ric had inherited her eyes.   
   
"I was eight." he whispered, hating how broken his voice sounded. It was so far in the past. It shouldn`t still affect him so much. This was the reason he never talked about his mother. Maeve smiled sadly. "I´m so sorry for your loss." She said it with so much sincerity that he didn`t know how to respond. Realizing this was a difficult topic for him, Maeve changed the subject.   
   
"So, what drew you to my son?" Damon blinked, tried to clear his head. "I`m not really sure, actually. He´s good company and we have quite a few things in common. And he´s good-looking of course." he shrugged. "So it was love at first sight?" Maeve asked with a grin. The vampire couldn`t help but grin as well. Her smile was contagious. "Not really, no. We... we`ve had our ups and downs. It was difficult at first. We actually didn`t really like each other." Understatement of the year. "But we got closer and.. in the end.. it just works."   
   
He didn`t know how else to explain it. Ric had come to Mystic Falls to kill him. Had tried to kill him, in fact, only to be killed by Damon instead. He had no idea how that had led to them becoming drinking buddies, then friends and finally him falling in love with the teacher. But he was glad it had happened. He couldn`t imagine his live without Ric anymore. And luckily he didn`t have to. "You love him very much." Maeve observed. Damon was startled out of his reverie and realized this woman was a lot smarter than one might think. She certainly saw a lot. "I do." No reason to deny it. His honest answer brought a smile to Maeve`s face. "I`m glad to hear that."   
   
Their talk was interrupted by the arrival of Jeremy and Stefan. His brother looked at him with a frown and Damon realized that Maeve was still holding his hand. Feeling a little self-conscious he pulled away and got up to introduce the newcomers. "My brother Stefan and Elena`s brother Jeremy. That`s Maeve Saltzman, Ric´s mum." Maeve got up and shook hands, smiling and telling the boys how wonderful it was to meet them. She asked a few questions and seemed genuinely interested in the answers.   
   
A few minutes later Alaric called from the kitchen that dinner was ready and they all gathered round the table to eat. Sitting there, with Damon at his side while watching his mother talk to Elena, Ric was struck by how comfortable this felt. The others were quickly charmed by his mum and after dinner was finished they continued to sit there and talk about school, life in Mystic Falls and relationships. Looking at the people he considered his family now, Alaric noticed that they all seemed more at ease than they had been over the last few weeks. His mother had that effect on people. Almost everyone liked her instantly. Isobel had been one of the few exceptions so far. Maybe that should have warned him.   
   
***   
   
Quite some time later there was a really strange discussion, when Maeve mentioned that she didn`t know where she`d be staying yet. Elena offered Jenna`s old room, but Ric didn`t feel so sure about that. It had been only four weeks so far since Jenna´s death. "You could stay at my apartment. I barely use it nowadays." he offered, just as Damon spoke up: "Or the boarding house. We have more than enough rooms."  
   
Maeve laughed at the discussion and said she could just as well spend the night at a motel. "You´re staying here. I insist. We wanted to turn Jenna`s old room into a guest room anyway." Elena stated, ending the discussion. Jeremy nodded his consent, so it was decided and Alaric carried his mother`s suitcase upstairs.   
   
He hadn`t been in Jenna`s old room since they broke up and was hit by a pang of guilt upon entering. While Elena and Jeremy had taken all of her personal belongings out just a week after her death, storing them in the attic,  her scent still lingered and reminded Alaric of the time spent here with her. He knew that he was feeling it all the more now, his emotions heightened by vampirism, but that didn`t make it any less painful. It didn`t make him feel any less bad about the things he`d done.   
   
"What is it, darling?" Maeve spoke up from behind him. Of course she had picked up on his mood. When Ric didn`t answer she sat down on the bed and patted the spot beside her. Hesitantly he sat down, staring at his hands, which were folded in his lap. "I lied to her. Back when we were still together. I … cheated on her." he confessed. "With Damon?" his mother asked. There was no judgement in her voice. He nodded.   
   
"I didn´t mean to. It just happened. I was dating Jenna, but I felt ... drawn to him." he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "That`s no excuse." Again she wasn`t judging, merely stating a fact. "I know. I... I was a coward. I knew I had to decide who I wanted to be with. But I postponed it. Took a speech from Nate to spur me into action. I told her the truth in the end. Broke up with her." Finally he looked up at his mother. "She was so mad at me over these last months. And rightfully so. She must have hated me. And still she wanted me to get custody for Elena and Jeremy. I feel so guilty when I think of her."   
   
By now there were tears in his eyes. Maeve pulled him into a hug. "Oh Alaric. We all make mistakes. Nobody`s perfect. I know it is hard. Even more so because of her death. But you shouldn`t keep beating yourself up over it. What`s done is done. And this guilt will eat away at you. You need to accept it and move on." she advised, gently stroking his back. "She wanted you to take care of the kids, because she knew you would do a good job. You love those kids. A blind man can see that. That`s the reason she chose you. And whatever happened between you and her in the past can`t change this."   
   
They sat like that for a while. Finally Alaric pulled away and smiled at his mother. "Thanks, mum. I`m glad you`re here." She smiled, too and reached up to wipe a stray tear from his cheek. "That`s what mothers are for, darling. And maybe I felt that you needed me. You know I`ll always be there for you. You just have to call." she promised. "And now let`s go to bed. It`s been an eventful day." Ric got up and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, mum."   
   
***  
   
 When Ric entered the bedroom that he still had a hard time viewing as his, Damon was already lounging on the bed. "Are you okay?" the older vampire asked, genuine worry in his tone. Just a few month ago he would have hidden it, would have pretended not to care so much. But they had come a long way since then. "Yeah, don`t worry. I`m slowly getting used to my emotions being all over the place." Ric joked wryly.   
   
Damon gave him an appraising look and then visibly relaxed, a slow smile spreading over his face. "So, is this some weird Saltzman family tradition, dropping in on your relatives without warning? Do we have to expect more surprise visits in the near future?" he asked and Ric laughed. "No, don`t worry. We`re not all like that. It´s not all that uncommon for my mum. She always stopped by when she felt like it. Used to drive Isobel mad." he remembered. "For Nate it was very unusual. He never does anything spontaneous and unplanned."   
   
Damon snorted and watched as Ric started stripping off his clothes. "Doesn`t surprise me. I think your brother is even more boring than mine. And that`s saying something." he commented. Clad only in boxershorts Ric finally joined him on the bed. "You could be right about that." he had to admit, as he settled down to sleep.   
   
But Damon had other plans. As soon as Ric had lay down on his back, the dark haired vampire was straddling his hips, leaning down for a kiss. "What are you doing?" Ric asked once their lips had parted. "I thought that would be quite obvious." his boyfriend commented, starting to place kisses along Ric`s jaw.   
   
"Damon, stop." It was a weak command, but surprisingly enough the older vampire stopped his ministrations. He didn`t budge from his position though, just stared down at the teacher with a frown. "I thought we were finally over the whole no-sex-in-the-former-Gilbert-bedroom thing." Ric sighed. "It`s not that."   
   
"You`re not going to give me the Elena-or-Jeremy-might-hear-speech again, are you? As I`ve already told you: They`re not dumb. They know what we`re doing in here. And they`re okay with it. I asked." Ric cringed, knowing Damon had indeed asked Jeremy about a week ago, if he would mind them having sex in his parent`s former bedroom. Jeremy had said it was okay, as long as they kept the noise down. After all, it was Ric`s room now. "I still can`t believe you actually asked Jeremy. But it´s not that either."   
   
Damon gave him a disbelieving look. "Really? You`re worried about your mum being here?" Ric only shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "That woman is damn perceptive, Ric. You actually think she doesn`t know what we`re doing in here as well?" Damon asked. "I really don`t want to think about what my mum knows."   
   
Obviously neither did Damon, because he bent down again, to nibble at his boyfriend`s neck, biting lightly, before kissing a path down his torso. "Damon..." Ric gasped, causing the dark haired vampire to look up at him with a smirk. "In case you`re wondering again, what I`m doing - I`m changing your mind." he announced matter of factly, continuing with his ministrations. He lightly bit a nipple, only to soothe it with his tongue seconds later. Alaric arched into him with a groan, but then stopped him again.   
   
When Damon opened his mouth to protest, he cut him off with a kiss, before ordering: "Lock the door. I won`t have my mum walking in on us." Damon grinned down on him. He was at the door and back in the blink of an eye. "So, you`re afraid your mum might see something that`ll shock her?" he whispered, leaning down to continue where he had left off.   
   
Ric surprised him by reversing their positions, pinning the dark haired vampire beneath him. He found the sensitive spot on Damon´s throat and dragged his tongue over it, enjoyed the shiver that raced through his boyfriends body, the way he arched into the touch, a soft whine coming from his lips. "Hmmm. Especially when I`m doing this." he whispered, biting without warning, drawing blood. Damon moaned, fisting his hands in the sheets and pressed the rather prominent bulge in his boxershorts against Ric`s hip.   
   
Ric had found out during that week in the cabin that he could make his boyfriend come just by sinking his fangs into certain parts of Damon´s body. He withdrew his fangs and Damon reversed their positions again. He retaliated in kind by biting the inside of Ric`s left thigh. The teacher`s eyes fluttered closed. He knew that as vampires it was natural for them to get off on feeding from each other. But he`d enjoyed this almost as much when he`d still been human and had often wondered what that said about him.   
   
"I guess I`m doing something wrong, if you still have time to think." Damon growled, as he rid Alaric of his boxershorts. Ric opened his eyes, surprised to see that Damon was already naked as well. "Maybe you`ll have to put a little more effort into it." he dared. Damon`s eyes flashed dangerously and he was above him in seconds. Ric felt his boyfriend`s fangs pierce his neck, just as an insistent finger found its way between his legs. He moaned loudly at the dual sensation, completely forgetting that someone might hear them.   
   
Damon withdrew his fangs, but added a second finger. "Enough effort for you?" he whispered directly into his lover´s ear and Ric shivered, too incoherent with pleasure to formulate an answer. Then the fingers were gone and Damon positioned himself between Ric`s legs. Ric threw his head back and gasped, feeling himself filled so completely.   
   
Damon set a leisure pace, but made sure to hit Ric`s sweet spot on every thrust. The teacher saw stars. One of his hands was fisted in the sheets, the other clutched at his boyfriend`s shoulder, his fingernails digging into the pale skin hard enough to draw blood. Just as he felt himself propelled over the edge, he tugged the older vampire down and sank his fangs into Damon´s throat. Damon groaned and Ric felt himself fill with warmth.   
   
Completely spent they collapsed together on the bed and waited for their breathing to return to normal. Ric looked over at his boyfriend, who lay on his back, eyes closed, looking completely blissed out and was struck by a wave of emotion. "I love you." Damon´s eyes fluttered open, a self-satisfied smirk crossed his lips. "I know." Ric couldn`t help the rough chuckle, as the dark haired vampire reached for the tissues on the nightstand. He lazily cleaned both of them, before cuddling against Ric, his head over the teacher`s heart, his fingers drawing invisible symbols through the hair on his chest.   
   
"I love you, too." It was only a whisper. Ric knew Damon still had a bit of a hard time saying it. He`d been hurt too often to trust easily. Because of that the teacher cherished his trust even more. "I know." he whispered back, drawing Damon a little closer as they both drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Ric was awoken by a loud knocking, or rather banging on his bedroom door and Caroline`s annoyingly cheerful voice. "Wakey wakey boys. We`ve got an exciting day ahead of us." With a groan the teacher covered his eyes, while Damon next to him shouted: "Fuck off, Barbie!"  
   
Of course Caroline didn`t give up that easily. She knocked again and then tried the door handle. "You locked the door? Seriously?" she grumbled and Ric smiled. That girl was prone to walking in on them. He didn`t know if she did it on purpose, because she found them so cute together (and he still cringed every time she said that) or if she just didn`t think anything by doing it. Her father was gay, so the sight of two men in bed together probably wasn`t anything new for her.   
   
"Your mum sent me to wake you. She`s making breakfast." Caroline informed them. "And I hope you haven`t forgotten what day it is." Alaric frowned at that. What day? "Oh fuck!" he exclaimed, once he remembered. He really had forgotten. "I´d love to, but you know that Blondie is still standing out there, listening?" Damon quipped. Ric lightly smacked him on the head. "Smartass. That stupid picnic is today."   
   
The older vampire looked thoughtful for a moment, then he groaned as well. "Do we have to go?" Ric got up and was just about to answer when Caroline, still standing outside the door, beat him to it. "Yes, you have to go. And now hurry up! We haven`t got all day." Rolling his eyes, Alaric told her they were coming. "Good for you. But I didn`t really need to know that." the blonde joked. They could hear her giggling as she finally disappeared back downstairs.   
   
"Her sexual puns are worse than yours." Ric commented, shaking his head. This earned him a slap on the butt from his boyfriend, who decided he was showering alone then, if Ric didn`t appreciate his humour. He stalked out of the room, pouting for effect. Grinning the teacher shook his head, but followed him anyway.   
   
He caught up to Damon in front of the bathroom and stopped him by wrapping his arms around the older vampire`s waist from behind. "You know I love your sense of humour. I love everything about you." he assured, nuzzling Damon´s neck. Of course he heard the approaching footsteps, but he didn`t really pay attention, until he heard his mother ask if she was interrupting.   
   
Blushing crimson Ric quickly took a step back. "Mum!" Damon snickered. "Not at all, Maeve. I was just on my way to take a shower. I`ll join you shortly." the dark haired vampire replied smoothly, before he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the teacher alone with his mother. "Morning mum. Sorry about that." Ric mumbled sheepishly, blushing even more when his mother laughed.   
   
"Oh don`t worry about it, honey. It´s nice to see how much you care for each other. And I really have to agree with Caroline. She told me you are very sweet together." Maeve let him know. Ric cringed. So his mum and Caroline had talked about them. Just great. What a way to start the day.   
   
He followed his mother downstairs to the kitchen, where Caroline, Elena, Stefan and Jeremy were already gathered around the table. His mum was making her delicious strawberry pancakes. The smell reminded him of his childhood days. Smiling Ric took a seat next to Jeremy, while his mum bustled around the kitchen. "So, what is this picnic you were talking about?" she asked after a while. "The Mystic Falls history department is holding a picnic, because of some historical event." Caroline answered vaguely.   
   
Ric chuckled, knowing she had no idea what it was about. He´d be surprised if any of his students knew. "The original founders used to celebrate this day. It´s some sort of pagan holiday." he explained, just as Damon joined them. "It`s mostly a good excuse for the founders council to throw another party." he remarked and Ric had to agree with him. It seemed the people of Mystic Falls were really into all these festivities, using every chance they got to celebrate. Like there were no more urgent matters to take care of.   
   
Maeve chuckled. "Sounds interesting. What is this council?" she asked while she put a stack of pancakes in front of Damon, who raised an eyebrow at her. "Eat up, darling. You`re too thin." she chided and Ric had to stifle a chuckle. "Well the council..." He looked at his boyfriend for help, since he really had no idea how to describe the council. At least not without mentioning vampires.   
   
Damon shrugged. "The council takes care of various town business. We organize parties or donations, restore and manage old buildings and public facilities, like the library for example and mostly we spend a lot of time sitting around talking." Finally done with cooking Maeve took a seat next to Damon, looking at him with interest. "We? You`re a part of that council?" The vampire shrugged again. "It consists of members of the founding families, so as a Salvatore it`s practically family tradition. Ric is actually one of the very few people outside of that inner circle who was ever given a place in the council." he explained and Maeve turned to her son.   
   
"You´re a part of it, too?" she asked, genuinely surprised. "Yes. I think mostly thanks to Damon, who didn`t want to sit through the boring council meetings alone. Although Carol seemed quite happy with the idea of me joining the council. More so than we expected." Ric remembered. "Carol?”  
   
"Mayor Lockwood." the teacher clarified and his mum nodded. "Ah yes, Nathan told me you`re friends with the mayor." Ric rolled his eyes. Typically Nate to mention something like this. "Mystic Falls is a small town. People just know each other." he shrugged it off, but his mum seemed impressed nonetheless.   
   
***  
   
After breakfast the kids left while Ric went upstairs to shower and get dressed, all the while listening in on the conversation his mum was having with Damon, who had offered to help her clean the dishes. At first they talked a little more about the council, but then his mother quietly confessed that she had been worried about Ric.   
   
"That`s the reason I`m here." she admitted and Damon looked at her with a frown, wondering what she was hinting at. "As a mother I always worry about my children. Of course I do. But I was always a bit more worried about Alaric, I have to admit. He just gave me more reason to. Nathan was always so mature, rarely had any problems. He married a sweet girl, started a family, is successful at his job… Even when he and Maggie were fighting last year, I knew they`d make up soon enough and I didn`t need to get involved."   
   
Her words surprised Damon. He knew for a fact that Nathan hadn`t told his parents about the fight with his wife, that had led to him visiting Ric last year. "Your sons really can`t keep anything from you, can they?" he asked with a smile. "I raised them, so I probably know them better than anyone else. And I always know when they`re hiding something from me." Maeve stated matter-of-factly. The vampire believed her and that made him a little nervous. After all, there was still something Ric was hiding from her. The fact that he was a vampire now. And he was pretty sure Ric had no desire to tell her about that any time soon.   
   
"I came here to see how Alaric was doing." Maeve continued, switching back to the original topic. "Life has always been harder for him than it was for Nathan. He and his father have a... tough relationship." she let him know. Damon nodded. "Yeah, Ric told me. One of the things we have in common." And he had no idea why he told her this. He didn`t usually talk about his past or his family. Not even to Ric and especially not to strangers. He`d only met Ric`s mum yesterday, but he already felt comfortable around her. She just had such a calm and understanding presence.   
   
"I`m very sorry to hear that, dear." she murmured. And the vampire believed that she really meant it. "My husband can be a very difficult man. He always had high expectations of his sons. And unlike Nathan, Alaric didn`t fulfil those. Didn`t even try to. I think he did it on purpose. He was always a little stubborn, my baby boy." she smiled fondly and Damon grinned at the pet name. He was so going to tease Ric about that later.   
   
"He chose a different path for himself and I didn`t really mind that. I knew he would find his way. But I was worried when he got into a few fights in his younger years and then when he married Isobel..." she hesitated. Damon supposed she didn`t want to talk bad about her son´s ex-wife. Or maybe she wasn`t sure how much Ric had told Damon about his marriage. "He told me you didn`t really get along." he offered.   
   
Maeve nodded slowly, seemingly glad to hear that he and Ric had talked about it. "I have to admit, I didn`t like her much. And it went both ways. Things were a little strained. Once I visited them spontaneously. Alaric wasn`t there and Isobel made it pretty clear that she didn`t like me stopping by. I didn`t want to cause more trouble, so I didn`t visit them that often anymore. And when she died things didn`t really change for the better. Alaric started obsessing over her research and I think he went to investigate the murder himself. For a long while I didn`t know how to reach him."   
   
Maeve sighed, staring straight ahead and Damon could only imagine how hard it must have been for her. He felt guilty, although he knew that the thing with Isobel wasn`t really his fault. She had come to him. If he hadn`t turned her, she would have found some other vampire. Even Ric had said so.   
   
"So after Nate`s visit you thought you´d give it another try?" he guessed. She looked over at him with a smile. "Exactly. From what Nathan told me I got the impression that Alaric had finally gotten over the past. I came here to see for myself." Done with the dishes she wiped her hands and sat down at the kitchen table again, motioning for Damon to join her. "I only want him to be happy. Settle down again, with a nice girl. Or a nice boy." she winked at Damon and he couldn`t help but smile back.   
   
"I know I`ve only been here a few hours really, but I`m already sure that my worry was unnecessary. He`s happier than I`ve seen him in years. And I think that`s mostly thanks to you." Maeve continued. Damon blinked, unsure how to respond to that. Obviously noticing this, Maeve took his hand with a smile. "So, I know you don`t really need it, but I give you my blessing anyway. I think my son made a wonderful choice." she said sincerely.   
   
The vampire was completely taken aback by her words. He had been surprised when Nate had accepted his and Ric`s relationship without batting an eyelash, even after having witnessed Damon`s drunken jealousy attack. He hadn`t expected this much acceptance from Ric`s mum. For most of his life Damon had felt unwanted. His father had never hidden the fact that he favoured Stefan, Katherine had chosen Stefan, Elena had chosen Stefan. No-one had ever wanted him. Until Ric came along. And now there was this wonderful woman, who told him she was glad he was dating her son. For once all witty remarks were stuck in his throat and he felt speechless. He was glad when Ric finally re-joined them. The soft smile on the teacher´s face told him that he`d been listening in on the conversation.   
   
They piled into his car and drove to the park, where the picnic would be held. The place was beautifully decorated with garlands, flowers and fairy lights. The party was scheduled to last well into the night and Damon vaguely remembered Carol saying something about fireworks. There were blankets spread out and also some tables and chairs, for the people who didn`t want to sit on the ground. Various stands offered food and drinks. Although it was still pretty early there were already a lot of people gathered.   
   
Damon spied his brother and the Scooby gang on a blanket off to the side, talking animatedly about something. Stefan had his arms wrapped around Elena, who was smiling. Caroline was giggling, leaning into Tyler and Damon snorted when he remembered her insisting she wasn`t dating wolfboy, just a few days ago. Like anyone really believed that. He didn`t understand why they kept it a secret, but had decided to keep that thought to himself. It wasn`t his business and he really had no wish to involve himself in vampire Barbie’s affairs. It was bad enough that she involved herself in everybody else`s affairs.   
   
Unfortunately Maeve had spied the group as well and was making her way over, so Damon and Ric had no choice but to follow her. They introduced her to Tyler, the only one in the group she hadn`t met so far and Damon watched rather fascinated as wolfboy quickly fell under her spell. There was just something about Ric`s mum that made people instantly like her, the vampire mused. He couldn´t even explain it himself. She had such a calm and caring presence and she was completely honest in her interest for everyone she met.   
   
Soon everyone was chatting and laughing and Damon had to admit that the picnic was more fun than he`d anticipated. Maybe they really needed this. A bit of normalcy amidst all the chaos that was their life. A break from all the drama of the last few weeks. He leaned back against Alaric, who was sitting behind him and sighed softly when Ric`s hand found his, linking their fingers. The dark haired vampire couldn`t even muster a real glare in Caroline`s direction when he found her grinning at them.   
   
A while later he was somehow dragged into an impromptu football match with Stefan, Tyler and Jeremy, without really knowing how it happened. One minute they were talking and the next someone was throwing a football at him. Why someone even brought a football to a picnic was beyond him. He vaguely remembered mentioning that he`d been the one who taught Stefan how to play, so that had probably started the whole thing.   
   
At least he knew what he was doing, unlike Jeremy who had apparently never held a football before, much to Tyler`s amusement. Elena and Caroline were cheering them on from the side and he had to smile despite himself, even when Stefan used the chance to tackle him to the ground. Alaric remained seated on the blanket with his mum and watched the game with a smile, glad to see the people he had come to view as family so happy and carefree.   
   
Caroline was getting Elena to do an impromptu cheerleading-dance and both girls were giggling and jumping around wildly. The teacher chuckled when Stefan tried to teach Jeremy how to throw and Damon used his brother´s momentary distraction to retaliate and tackle him, knowing full well that Stefan felt the impact a lot more than Damon had. One of the downsides of the bunny-diet.   
   
"I`m happy for you." The quiet words made him turn to his mother. "I have to admit, I was worried about you, after Isobel... died. You seemed so lost and I couldn`t reach you. You were shutting me out." she told him and Ric felt guilty, knowing she was right. For a long while he had shut everyone out. "I`m sorry, mum." he mumbled. "Don`t be. Everyone deals with that kind of thing in his own way. I knew you`d get through this. And look at you now. I haven`t seen you this happy in ages."   
   
It was true. Despite all the bad things that had happened, despite the continued threat of Klaus and whatever other evil lurked out there, he felt truly happy. Like he finally found what he`d been looking for. Automatically his eyes sought out Damon again. The dark haired vampire was busy goading Jeremy into tackling Stefan, but turned to flash a grin in Ric`s direction, like he had felt the teacher staring. Ric grinned when Jeremy actually complied and Stefan went down once again. From what he`d seen the others had apparently teamed up against the younger Salvatore.   
   
"He`s a lovely boy." Maeve remarked and Ric felt himself blushing, realizing his mum had caught him staring at Damon. And while he found it highly amusing that anyone would call Damon a 'lovely boy', he was still glad his mum approved of his boyfriend. They seemed to get along really well, too. "He`s amazing." he agreed, knowing full well Damon had heard him.   
   
With a sigh his mother smoothed her skirt and Alaric braced himself for the question. It was a nervous habit of hers, he knew. And it usually meant she was going to ask something he felt uncomfortable about. He only hoped it wouldn`t have anything to do with sex. He would not discuss that with his mother.   
   
"There`s still something you`re not telling me." she finally stated and it wasn`t a question. He probably should have known this was coming, after having listened to her conversation with Damon. "Does it have anything to do with those rings you both are wearing?" Maeve asked and Ric looked down at his daylight ring. It looked very similar to Damon`s. Finally meeting his mother`s gaze he smiled. "Don`t worry, we haven`t secretly gotten married."   
   
Maeve chuckled. "Yes, I`d like to think you would have invited me. I was actually thinking more along the lines of an engagement." she clarified. "No, not really. The ring was.. a gift. Damon knew I liked his, so he got me this one." Alaric explained, but his mum didn`t look convinced. "Okay, maybe it is meant as a sign of commitment as well. But mostly it was just a gift." he conceded, remembering Damon´s words when he had presented the ring.   
   
>I had Bonnie make this for you. I know it looks a lot like mine. I like that design and that way everyone knows who you belong to.


	4. Chapter 4

Alaric was the first to wake the next morning. For a moment he watched his sleeping boyfriend, marvelling once more at how innocent Damon looked in his sleep. He knew better than anyone that this look could be deceiving.   
   
Grinning wickedly he decided to surprise his boyfriend with a special wakeup call and disappeared under the covers. His tongue left a wet trail across Damon`s torso, taking advantage of the fact that they slept naked most nights, even if they didn`t have sex. There was just something intimate about the feeling of skin on skin.   
   
Ric moved further down, smiling when Damon shuddered beneath him. Not in the mood to tease he took the whole length into his mouth without warning. "Fuck, Ric!" Damon exclaimed, proving that he was very much awake by now. His hips bucked upwards, but Ric had anticipated the move and held him down. He took his time, let his tongue trace patterns along the underside, then back up again to swirl over the head. One of Damon´s hands tangled in his hair, caressing more than guiding. Ric didn`t need guidance. He knew exactly what to do to send his boyfriend over the edge. Damon came with Ric`s name spilling from his lips and Ric swallowed greedily.   
   
When he moved up again the older vampire was still panting. The teacher dropped a quick kiss on his lips. "Good morning." Damon chuckled. "Very good indeed." he murmured, reversing their positions to return the favour.   
   
A couple of minutes later they snuck into the bathroom to shower together, before joining Maeve, Elena and Jeremy for breakfast. After making plans to meet at the Grill for lunch Damon went home to get changed. Alaric made a mental note to finally store some of Damon´s clothes in his bedroom in the Gilbert house. Damon had cleared a drawer for him at the boarding house weeks ago, but he hadn`t gotten around to doing the same for his boyfriend yet and had also forgotten to pack the things Damon had left at his apartment.   
   
While Alaric`s mum decided to make some phone calls and see how his father was doing, the teacher went to see sheriff Forbes, who was trying to keep track of Klaus for them. The original seemed to have gone on a blood binge and he didn`t even bother to hide the bodies he left behind. Ric had a very bad feeling about this. He couldn`t shake the fear that Klaus would return to Mystic Falls sooner or later. He just hoped this time around they would be better prepared.   
   
Liz suggested that maybe he and Damon might need to look into this a little more, should Klaus come closer to Mystic Falls again. Ric really had no wish to meet the original, but knew the sheriff was right, so he promised to talk to Damon about it.   
   
They spent some more time chatting about the kids and Liz inquired how Elena and Jeremy were doing. Ric shrugged and told her they were handling it as good as could be expected. He didn`t mention Elena`s nightly crying or Jeremy`s refusal to talk about what had happened, not wanting the sheriff to think he was doing a bad job. Even if he was doing a bad job, she didn`t need to know.   
   
Liz nodded and then surprised him by asking what he thought of Caroline and Tyler. Did he think it was serious and should she talk to Caroline about it? Their relationship had always been a difficult one, especially now that her daughter was a vampire. Ric was about to answer, when she decided it might be better if Alaric talked to Caroline, since she trusted him.   
   
Ric wanted to say no. Wanted to protest that she was her mother, so it was her job, difficulties or not and what did he know anyway? He wanted to list all the reasons why he was the wrong man for a talk like this. He had no idea why instead he agreed to do it. Shouldn`t it be the other way around? He was the vampire after all. Shouldn`t it be him getting Liz to do what he wanted? He was, after all, frighteningly good at compelling people. Something he had only found out because Damon had insisted he needed to try.   
   
But then again the sheriff was most likely taking vervain, so there was no chance of compelling her. And she was used to bossing people around, he supposed. When Ric finally left the sheriff`s office he had a headache. Funny, he never thought vampires got headaches.   
   
Arriving back at the Gilbert home he was met by the sight of his mother, sitting on the couch, rubbing Jeremy`s back and whispering soothing words while the teen sobbed into her shoulder. Alaric stopped dead in his tracks. The picture reminded him of his childhood days and the many times he had sat like that with his mum, while she comforted him. Maeve met his eyes and he motioned towards the kitchen. She nodded and Ric left quietly, knowing Jeremy probably wouldn`t want him to witness his weak moment.   
   
He fetched himself a glass of water, only now remembering that he`d completely forgotten to stop by at the boarding house to grab a blood bag after his meeting with Liz, like he had originally planned. He would need to feed soon. Earlier he`d been distracted, but now he was starting to feel the cravings. Worse than usual. But it was too late now. He couldn`t just leave again, without his mum getting suspicious and asking questions he didn`t want to answer. He would just have to cope.   
   
A few minutes passed by until his mother entered the kitchen. He had heard her, murmuring soothing words all the time, even though he tried not to listen too closely. "Is he okay?" Ric asked tentatively. "He will be. He`s kept it all bottled up. It was about time he talked about it. He can`t heal if he just represses his feelings." Maeve explained. "I know. I wanted to talk to him. I just... didn`t know what to say." the teacher admitted.   
   
Maeve patted his back. "I know, darling. Don`t worry. You`ll learn in time. You`re still new to this. But believe me, he`s glad to have you. He looks up to you." she let him know. Ric doubted he would ever be good at this kind of thing, but he knew he would try. Jeremy was probably the closest he would ever come to having a son and he wanted to be there for the kid. "Thanks, mum." he murmured. Maeve smiled and reminded him that they were supposed to meet Damon for lunch. Ric hadn`t even realized how late it was.   
   
He grabbed his car keys and they left, passing Jeremy on the way out, who didn`t meet his eyes and declined the offer to come along, stating he would start his shift at the Grill in about two hours anyway and he didn`t need to be that early.   
   
***  
   
Only a few minutes later Damon´s Camaro pulled up in front of the house. As always the vampire entered without knocking, but he stopped mid-stride when he came face to face with Jeremy, who was still sniffling and wiping at his eyes. The teen looked away quickly and for a second Damon was tempted to turn on his heel and leave again. A couple of month ago he would have done just that. Now however he took a tentative step towards Jeremy, who didn`t meet his eyes.   
   
"Is Ric here?" was the first question that came to Damon´s mind. "No. You missed him. He and his mum left just a few minutes ago." Jeremy told him. "Okay." Damon hesitated, watched the boy, who was staring at his feet, clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. He couldn`t just leave him like this, but didn`t really know what to do either.  
   
"Do you... want to talk about it?" he finally blurted, wincing when the offer sounded strange even to his own ears. Jeremy looked at him with a frown. Damon could tell he`d been crying. His eyes were red and puffy and he could see the tear stains on his cheeks. He felt bad for the kid and wished Ric would be here. Ric was so much better at this whole caring thing. But Damon was on his own here. He just had to manage.   
   
Maybe honesty was the best way to go. At least that was what Ric always preached him. "Look, I was really hoping you`d have your inevitable, emotional breakdown with Ric. I suck at this. But I`ll try, okay?" he offered. He would listen, maybe pat the kid on the back or something like that. Absently he wondered if Elena would stake him if he gave Jeremy some bourbon, surprised when suddenly Jeremy smiled slightly. "I think I just had my emotional breakdown with Maeve. I`m just still a little shaken up." the teen admitted and Damon breathed a sigh of relief.   
   
"Okay. Good. That`s good. I think." he muttered, mostly to himself. Jeremy shrugged and wiped at his eyes again. He looked embarrassed. "It´s okay to cry. Only assholes tell you men don`t cry." Damon said quietly. Jeremy looked at him in surprise. For a second they stared at each other, then the kid nodded. "You can leave, you know? I`ll be fine. Ric and Maeve are probably already waiting for you." he reminded the vampire.   
   
Damon decided he looked sincere and already a little better than a few minutes ago. Besides this was enough awkward conversation for today. For the whole week, actually. "Right." he turned to the door, but stopped when Jeremy called his name. "Damon?" He looked back at the teen, one eyebrow raised. "Thanks." Jeremy said with a small smile. The vampire smiled as well and nodded, before leaving. Well, that went better than he`d expected.   
   
***   
   
Arriving at the Grill he spied Ric and Maeve almost instantly. Maeve was happily chatting away, while Ric only nodded and practically hid behind his menu. And since when did he even need a menu at the Grill? They were here every other day. He looked anxious and edgy. One of his hands was bunched in the fabric of his pant leg and Damon could see the faint tremors that wracked his body. Shaking his head in resignation the dark haired vampire marched over.   
   
"Damon, there you are." Maeve greeted him with a warm smile. "Yeah, sorry. I got held up. Say Maeve, would you mind if I kidnapped Ric for a second?" he asked. She shook her head. "Not at all, dear." Motioning for Alaric to follow him, Damon marched towards the restrooms, ignoring the questioning look his boyfriend gave him. As soon as they were away from prying eyes he pushed Ric into an empty stall and closed the door behind them.   
   
"In the restroom of the Grill? With my mum sitting out there? Are you nuts?" the teacher protested and tried to escape Damon`s strong grip. The older vampire rolled his eyes. "Oh relax, I didn`t bring you here to have my way with you. Please, give me some credit." He produced a blood bag out of his jacket and handed it to Ric. "Drink. Before you lose control and accidently eat your mum." he ordered harshly.   
   
Ric looked at the blood bag for a second, vamping out without meaning to. Then he tore into it, gulping down the red liquid with a contented sigh. He finished it in less than a minute. Once his features had returned to normal he looked at Damon sheepishly. "Why the hell didn`t you stop by like you said you would?" the older one demanded. Ric shrugged. "I forgot." Damon`s eyebrows shot up. "You forgot? Ric, I could practically feel you trying not to tear into anyone´s throat out there. How could you forget?"   
   
"I had this talk with Liz and she confused the hell out of me. And then I was late for picking up my mum, so I hurried home and I only remembered when I got there. But I could hardly leave again without an explanation." the teacher defended himself. Damon shook his head. "You´re a vampire, Ric. And a new one. I know you think you`re doing okay, and you are, believe me. I`m really proud of you. But you have no idea how easily you could lose control. You`ll have to be more careful." he stated, looking at his boyfriend intently.   
   
"I know. I`ll be more careful, I promise. It`s just been a bit much lately." Alaric confessed, reaching out to pull Damon into his arms. The older vampire returned the hug, shuddering when Ric nuzzled his neck. "I guess I`m lucky to have such a considerate boyfriend." the teacher whispered. Damon sighed and hugged him a little tighter. He wasn`t angry at Ric. He was only concerned. For a young vampire it was so easy to slip and accidently kill someone. And he knew Ric would never forgive himself.   
   
Finally he pulled away. "Come on, before Maeve really thinks I had my way with you in here." he joked lightly. Ric smiled, leaned down to kiss him and murmured a quick thanks. Maeve looked up when they re-joined her at the table. "Is everything okay?" she inquired worriedly. Ric gave her a reassuring smile. "Everything´s fine, mum. Don`t worry." And it was. Thanks to his boyfriend. Ric really had no idea what he`d do without Damon. Smiling in the older vampire´s direction he ordered a burger and leaned back in his seat, finally able to relax.


	5. Chapter 5

After lunch they took Maeve on a tour around town. She commented how beautiful and idyllic Mystic Falls was and Alaric had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. It did seem like an idyllic place, he had to admit. His mum couldn`t know of the dangers that lurked in this town and he wasn`t about to tell her.   
   
While they took a walk through the beautiful landscape Alaric mentioned his earlier talk with Liz and that she`d asked him to talk to Caroline. "Caroline and Matt were dating for a while, but they broke up. Actually Matt broke up with her, as far as I know. Now Caroline has fallen in love with Tyler, but he`s Matt´s best friend and I think they don´t want to hurt Matt, so they keep it secret." he explained to his mother. "Sounds like a predicament." Maeve commented.   
   
Ric could only agree with her. Why the hell had he let Liz talk him into this? He had enough on his hands with Elena and Jeremy and he wasn`t even doing a good job with those two. "Why does she want you to talk to Blondie? She`s her mum. It`s her job." Damon muttered. "You know they have a tough relationship. I just don´t understand why she thinks I`d be the right person for this." the teacher wondered. He supposed there was a lack of understanding adults, who also knew about the whole vampire thing in Mystic Falls. But still, why did it always have to be him?   
   
"Maybe she thinks you`ve got experience, now that you`re taking care of the Gilberts." Damon suspected. "What will you tell her?" Ric shrugged. "Hell if I know." he muttered, flinching when his mum scolded him for cursing. "If you want to hear my opinion, I think they should just tell Matt the truth. Hiding will bring them nowhere and lying to their friend is wrong. He seems like a nice boy. I`m sure he`ll understand." Maeve said. Ric thought about her words for a second and then nodded. "I guess you`re right."   
   
Sooner or later Matt would find out anyway. It was better if they came clean now. That was something he had learned from his own experience with Jenna and Damon. He decided to talk to the blonde the next chance he got and the discussion turned to other topics.   
   
There was a rather awkward moment when his mum asked Damon what he did for a living. She seemed a little appalled that he didn`t have a job, but the vampire claimed that council work kept him pretty busy and that he helped the sheriff sometimes. Also he stated that he really didn`t have to work with all the money he and his brother had inherited, being the last of the Salvatore line.  
   
Apart from that it was a really nice afternoon. They returned to the Gilbert house by early evening, where Damon prepared dinner for the three of them. Jeremy was working late and Elena had texted them that she would be eating at the Grill with Stefan. Maeve seemed rather pleased with Damon´s cooking skills and Ric couldn`t resist joking that his boyfriend would make a great housewife. In retaliation Damon asked for some of his childhood stories and Maeve was more than eager to share. Ric grimaced, knowing the other vampire would tease him mercilessly for the next few weeks.   
   
"...and we always wondered why the other kids at the playground didn`t really like him, until we found out that he would always destroy their sandcastles." his mum remembered. "Mum, I was four!" Alaric protested, shooting Damon a dark look. The older vampire was having a blast at his expanse.   
   
Thankfully he was saved from further embarrassment by Elena, who bounded into the house with a grin. "Look who came back early!" she announced and Ric smiled when he spotted Bonnie and Caroline following her. "Bonnie, good to see you. I thought you wouldn`t be back for another week." the teacher wondered. "Yeah, that was the plan. But my father`s family is soo boring. I was going crazy there. So I told them I was homesick and after some discussion they finally put me on the next plane and here I am." the witch told them.   
   
"That`s great. Maybe now Jeremy will stop moping. He`s worse than my brother lately and that`s saying something." Damon commented with a dramatic sigh. Ric shook his head, although he had to agree that Jeremy had been moping as of late. After all that he`d been through the boy was allowed to mope, in his opinion. Elena chose to ignore the vampires and introduced Bonnie to Maeve.   
   
"We`re having a sleepover tonight to celebrate Bonnie`s return." the brunette announced cheerily and Damon decided he would spend the night at the boarding house. Ric shot him a pleading look that clearly said: >You can`t leave me alone with them.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Alaric awoke in an empty bed. Frowning he sat up, not used to waking without Damon´s sleeping form cuddled against his side. He spotted the older vampire in an armchair by the window. Clad only in a pair of jeans, bare feet tucked beneath him, Damon was staring at something in his hand. He didn`t stir when Ric got up, pulled on his boxershorts and padded over.   
   
Looking over Damon´s shoulder he noticed that it was an old photograph, very much like the one of Katherine he had once seen. But the woman in the picture wasn`t Katherine, although she was no less beautiful. Long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders and a soft smile played about her lips. Ric looked at the high cheekbones, at the way she smiled and cocked her head and realization hit. "Is that your mum?" Damon nodded, without taking his eyes off the picture. "She was beautiful."   
   
"Yeah, she was." the older vampire agreed softly. Ric sat down at the armrest of the chair and put a hand around Damon´s shoulders. "You know, I can`t remember a day when she wasn`t smiling. She was always so sweet and friendly. Everyone loved her. And she had a beautiful voice. She used to sing me to sleep every night." Damon remembered. He leaned against Ric with a sigh. "It`s the only picture of her that still exists, as far as I know. I had it hidden here in my room. Don´t know when was the last time I looked at it." he confessed softly.   
   
"My mother being here brought it all back." Ric suspected. Damon nodded, finally looking up. His eyes were glistening. "I miss her. It`s stupid. She died over a hundred and fifty years ago. But I miss her." he muttered. Ric got up and crouched down in front of him, putting his hands on Damon`s thighs and waited until Damon looked at him. "There´s nothing stupid about it. She was your mother and you loved her. Time doesn`t change that."   
   
Damon smiled softly and placed the picture back into a small box. Ric noticed that it also contained a delicate bracelet, which he suspected had belonged to Damon´s mum. Taking a deep breath the dark haired vampire met Ric`s eyes again. "I haven`t let myself think about her for years, decades even. I cried like a baby at her grave. My father gave me one hell of a beating later. Along with the men-don`t-cry speech." Ric frowned and pulled the older vampire out of the chair, glad when Damon cuddled into his arms willingly.   
   
"You were a kid." he protested. "Didn`t matter to him." Damon mumbled into his neck. Ric stroked his back soothingly. "Your father was a bastard. And this men-don`t-cry thing is bullshit." Damon pulled back enough to look at him. "Yeah, that`s what I told Jeremy yesterday, too." When the teacher frowned at his words he elaborated.   
   
"When you didn`t stop by like planned I went looking for you at the Gilbert house. Apparently I missed you by a few minutes. Jeremy was there. He`d been crying. I thought he finally had his breakdown. You know I suck at this whole comforting thing, but I was going to try. Would have gotten him drunk, probably. Turned out I didn`t have to, since your mum had already talked to him. But he was embarrassed, so I told him it was okay to cry. That was a fucking awkward moment, you know."   
   
Ric smiled at the rambled explanation, once again amazed at how much his boyfriend had changed. A few month ago he would never have thought of comforting a distressed teenager. He would have left, maybe compelled Jeremy to forget that he was upset, but he wouldn`t have talked to him. "I think you`re a lot better at comforting people than you think. And it`s great that you wanted to try." he told Damon honestly.   
   
The dark haired vampire raised an eyebrow at the praise. "Guess you`re rubbing off on me, with your responsibility and your morals and all that shit." he grumbled, but there was no heat behind the words. Damon liked being needed, even if he didn`t want to admit it. Still smiling Ric dropped a kiss onto the older vampire`s lips. "Do you want to go to the Gilbert`s for breakfast?"   
   
Damon´s hesitation was all the answer he needed. Alaric wasn`t particularly keen on going home either, knowing Elena and the girls would probably still be gathered there. "Or I could just text Elena to let her know we`ll be home for lunch." he offered. Damon shook his head. "Breakfast is fine. I`m sure you want to spend time with your mum while she`s here." Ric had to smile at the words, loving the fact that Damon would put his own discomfort aside for him.   
   
"What I really want is to spend a lazy morning in bed with you." he clarified. "My mum will have her hands full with the girls and I`m sure she won`t mind. She always pitied the fact that she has no daughters or granddaughters, you know." The dark haired vampire looked at him closely, as if trying to decide if he was honest or just humouring him. Then a slow smile spread over his features. "In that case... spending the morning in bed sounds like a great idea."   
   
So this was exactly what they did. They spent a lot of time exploring each other´s body with hands, lips and tongue, finding all the spots they knew drove the other wild, before lazily making love amidst the rumpled sheets. Ric knew and understood that Damon was still afraid the teacher might leave him. It was a fear installed by too many losses in his past, too many people hurting him. Ric never got tired assuring his boyfriend that he wouldn`t leave and he tried to convey the sincerity of his words with every gesture, every touch, every kiss.   
   
***   
   
Later they ventured down to the basement for some blood, before driving to the Gilbert home, where Maeve was busy preparing sandwiches. Thankfully the girls had already left. Over lunch Ric`s mum told them that she had talked to Caroline, so Ric wouldn´t need to. The teacher hugged his mother, grateful that he got around that talk. She also announced that she had booked a flight for the next evening. "Your father is getting out of rehab early. I guess they`ll be glad to see him leave. And I wanted to pay a visit to my brother on the way home. I haven`t seen him in a while and you know he always forgets to call. A lot like you, actually." she scolded her son.   
   
Ric grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry mum. I`ll try to call more often." he promised. Maeve gave him a doubtful look and Damon suspected his boyfriend promised this every time he saw his mum and then forgot all about it again. "I`ll make sure he sticks to that promise, Maeve." the older vampire spoke up, earning himself a fond smile from Ric`s mum. "You do that, dear. And of course you can call me too, whenever you feel like it. I already left my number for Elena and Jeremy as well." Damon was surprised by the offer, even more so because he knew she meant it.   
   
Since it was Maeve´s last full day at Mystic Falls they took her on another trip around town and Damon offered to cook for them at the boarding house in the evening. The invitation was originally meant for Ric and his mum only. Damon had no idea how he ended up playing chef for the whole supernatural gang instead a few hours later.   
   
"That´s what you get for being nice. My whole living room is cramped with teenagers. And one of them is a werewolf. I`m cooking for a fucking werewolf." he complained. Ric, who was helping him in the kitchen, chuckled in response. "Tyler is a nice guy for a werewolf, you have to admit." Damon sent a glare his way. He didn`t have to admit anything. And Tyler Lockwood being a nice guy was beside the point. He was still a werewolf. It was a matter of principle, but he kept that thought to himself, since arguing with Ric would get him nowhere.   
   
"They most likely won`t even appreciate the effort." he said instead. "They can hear you, you know?" was Ric`s only reply. Damon huffed. "Good. Don`t know why I`ve let you talk me into this." He added some spice to the sauce, jumping slightly when strong arms wrapped around him from behind. Ric dropped soft kisses on his neck. "I`m sure they appreciate it. And even if they don`t, I certainly do." the teacher assured. Damon grumbled some more, mostly for effect. He wasn`t really angry at his boyfriend and he knew that Ric knew that too.   
   
When they finally served dinner the smiling faces all around the table almost made up for the fact that Damon had spent over an hour in the kitchen. He had to admit that it was a nice evening. The kids complimented him on his cooking skills and thanked him profusely for the invitation. Even Tyler voiced his appreciation, after Caroline had not so discreetly kicked him in the shin underneath the table.   
   
Everyone behaved rather well, mostly thanks to Maeve being there, Damon suspected. He also realized that this was probably the first time ever that all of them were gathered without talking about anything supernatural. Without some crisis or new threat bringing them together. Without fighting, arguing and endless discussions. It was refreshing, even though some of the topics tended to be rather boring. Bonnie for example regaled them with tales about her father´s boring family and the dark haired vampire had to stifle a yawn.   
   
Deciding to amuse himself he let his hand drop to Ric`s thigh beneath the table. The teacher stiffened immediately, but he couldn`t really slap the hand away without alerting everyone present to what was going on. He tried to direct a discreet glare at his boyfriend, but Damon only smiled, pretended to be listening to witchy and moved his hand higher. Ric was practically squirming as the hand slowly crept closer to his crotch.  
   
Finally he jumped up, startling everyone present - save maybe Caroline, who was watching them with a grin. That girl was damn perceptive, Damon had to admit. But he´d never say that aloud. "I´ll get desert." Alaric announced, voice pitched a little higher than usual. He looked down at Damon, his expression carefully neutral. "Help me with the plates?" Stifling a grin the older vampire followed him into the kitchen. "You are so going to pay for that later." Ric promised as soon as they were out of human earshot. "I`m looking forward to it." Damon shot back, grinning in anticipation.   
   
They served desert - a rather delicious chocolate cake, if Damon did say so himself and vampire Barbie actually winked at him! He frowned at her, but she only giggled and leaned closer to Tyler. He`d never understand that girl.   
   
They ended up talking and laughing well into the night. Long after it had gotten dark the teenagers finally left. Damon was surprised when Ric asked his mum to drive back with Elena and Jeremy, since he`d be spending the night at the boarding house again. Maeve just kissed him on the cheek and wished them pleasant dreams, a knowing smile on her face. Stefan took one look at the two of them and decided he would stay with Elena tonight.   
   
Finally alone Ric practically dragged Damon upstairs and made good on his promise by teasing him with feather light touches, drawing foreplay out far longer than Damon thought possible and keeping him on the edge until he was begging for release. Finally sated they collapsed together on the bed. "So, did I fulfil your expectations?" Ric asked and Damon, never one to back down from a challenge, responded with a smirk and a murmured: "Maybe."   
   
   
They got up early the next morning and drove to the Gilbert house for breakfast. Maeve was making her strawberry pancakes again and looked very pleased when Elena asked for the recipe. They all lingered a lot longer at the table than usually. When Jeremy had finally left to start his shift at the Grill and Elena and Stefan had left to do whatever it was they were doing, Maeve, Ric and Damon spent the rest of the morning talking.   
   
Damon actually found himself saddened by the fact that Ric`s mum was already leaving again. She was an incredibly smart and perceptive woman and he enjoyed talking to her. Later they had lunch at the Grill and the whole supernatural gang showed up to say goodbye to Maeve. It looked like Damon wouldn´t be the only one who missed her.   
   
The day passed by in a blur and all too soon it was time for her to leave. Parting ways in front of the Gilbert home, Damon was surprised when she pulled him into her arms. He hesitated only a second before returning the hug. When he pulled back Maeve smiled up at him. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Damon. I know I`ve said it before, I think Alaric made a wonderful choice." The dark haired vampire felt at a loss for words, amazed once again that this incredible woman actually liked him. She seemed to sense this, because she reached up to stroke his cheek. "Look after my baby boy, would you?" she asked softly.   
   
Grinning at the pet name, Damon nodded. "Don`t worry, I will." His words brought a smile to her face. "Then I`ll have no more reason to worry." she said sincerely, stunning the vampire once more. "And allow yourself to be weak sometimes. You will find that it makes you even stronger in the end." Maeve advised. "I`ll keep it in mind." he promised, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "You`re an amazing woman, Maeve. I hope you´ll visit again soon." He meant it. He would miss her. "Be careful what you wish for, darling." she warned with a laugh. Then she hugged him again and got into the waiting car.   
   
Damon stayed behind while Ric drove his mum to the airport, wanting to give them some private time to talk. Ric was grateful for that, although he wouldn`t have minded Damon´s company. "I like him. I really do." Maeve announced suddenly and Ric smiled. "I`m glad to hear that. I was really scared how you would react." he admitted. "Oh Ric, you needn`t have worried. I`m your mother and I love you, no matter what. You should know that." she chastised. "I know, mum. It`s just... I never told you I like guys. And I just thought... this isn`t exactly the life you wanted for me."  
   
He knew that she had wanted him to marry again and have kids. Well, he could marry Damon, he supposed, but the children part... "What I wanted was for you to find someone who loves you unconditionally. To settle down and have a family of your own. So I`d say you have exactly what I wanted for you." Maeve declared. Ric looked at her in surprise, frowning when she laughed and admonished. "Eyes on the road, Alaric." He quickly turned his attention back to the road ahead. "Sorry, but I don`t get it."   
   
"Damon loves you. He looks at you like you`re his whole world. I have to admit he`s not quite the future son-in-law I may have imagined, but seeing you together is wonderful. You`re a perfect match in my eyes. You balance each other, look after each other. And as for the family... you may not have children of your own, but you have Elena and Jeremy, who look up to you. They adore you. And the other kids as well. It may not be a family in the traditional sense of the word, but you my son were never very traditional."   
   
Alaric felt speechless. Because she was right. He had long since come to view the kids as his family. Not only Elena and Jeremy, but Caroline, Bonnie, Stefan, Tyler and Matt as well. He looked out for them, as best as he could. "You`re right, mum." he said in wonder. Maeve chuckled. "Of course I am. Mother is always right, when will you finally learn this?" Smiling, Ric only shook his head.   
   
They reached the airport in no time at all. At the gate he hugged his mother and wished her a safe flight. "It was good to see you, mum. You know, you can visit any time you want. I`m sure Damon would be happy." And he would have known that even if he hadn`t listened to their talk earlier. "Oh, you`ll be seeing me soon enough. After all, there is still something you`re not telling me. Don`t think I haven`t noticed." Maeve chastised. "And don`t worry about your father. He won`t like it, but he`ll come around. He always does."   
   
Ric nodded. He knew he had to tell his dad about his relationship with Damon. And he should do it soon. But it wasn`t exactly something he was looking forward to. He should also call Nate and tell him about Elena and Jeremy. And about Jenna`s death.   
   
With a final hug Maeve boarded the plane. Ric waited until she had disappeared through the gate, then he turned and headed back to Mystic Falls.   
   
***   
   
Damon was already waiting for him at the boarding house. They spent the evening drinking and talking about Maeve and the wise things she had said. Ric told Damon that he really thought of them all as his family and Damon confessed that he felt like he belonged somewhere for the first time since Katherine`s betrayal.   
   
Sometime later they ended up on the rugs in front of the fire place again and Ric mused that this might very well become his favourite spot in the boarding house. Damon was pliant in his arms as they lazily made love, not caring that Stefan might come home and walk in on them. Wouldn`t be the first time anyway.   
   
When they woke the next morning, still cuddled together on the rugs, although the fire had long since died down, Caroline was grinning down on them. "Morning, boys. Breakfast in ten minutes and my mum wants to talk to you later." the blonde informed them, before marching off. Damon groaned and buried his face in Ric`s neck.   
   
The teacher chuckled while he listened to the conversation going on in the kitchen. Obviously Stefan was complaining about them, but Caroline insisted they were awfully cute together and Elena simply told him not to be such a prude. Alaric had no idea when this had become his life, but he knew he wouldn´t want it any other way. Even if Liz was already waiting with bad news - after all it had been far too quiet over the last few weeks - he wouldn`t trade his supernatural family for the world.


End file.
